


Rough Waters

by xactamundo



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Boating, Gabriel gets kinda rude, Gratuitous use of italics, I'm Bad At Tagging, Islands, M/M, NONE OF YOU ARE FREE FROM SIN, Prompt Fill, Sharing a Bed, WITHOUT SEX, Y'ALL NEED JESUS, but he's doing it to be a good person, i'm honestly kinda hesitant to tag it as that, just biologically, just read it if you like deserted islands with loads of semi-angsty plot up and coming, like seriously it's not what you're thinking, lol jk i would totes read this if there was sex, no altered mind stuff, non-traditional catboy!Cas, not beta'ed cause im a shy sob, ship wrecked, the author has 0 boating knowledge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-21
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-06-03 15:32:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6615943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xactamundo/pseuds/xactamundo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean had always been a boating guy, but when a freak windstorm strands him on a not-so-deserted island and a freakishly nice family takes him in, how could he leave? Better yet, how could he stay?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> *squeals* so this is the first time someone has actually asked me to write something and i'm nervous but here's the first chapter
> 
> anywho this prompt came from Evangeline74, i hope it is everything you dreamed of.

“Calm waters today, my ass.” Dean growled, kicking childishly at a scrap of twisted aluminum lying uselessly on the sand. 

Dean considered himself to be a pretty great ship captain. He had first gone boating when he was a toddler, watching curiously as his father steered them around the sizable lake at the end of their street. As he grew older, he convinced his dad to let him take the wheel. He whipped eagerly around the lake, stirring up waves in his wake and receiving a scolding from his mother on the shore when he ~~intentionally~~ accidentally splashed her and Sam. As he progressed through school, he was quite often referred to as “that guy with the boat.”

Crashing onto some random island had not ever been his plan. 

The decent sized hole in the side of the hull – that could be fixed easily in theory. The right tools and a bit of time, he could be on his way in a matter of days. But there was the issue of tools and food and shelter and _ugh._

The boating forecast had predicted calm waters besides, perhaps, a slight breeze. A slight breeze had turned into a 40 knots wind storm that had pushed Dean onto an island that _definitely_ wasn’t on his map. 

Dean sighed when he pulled his phone out of his pocket only to find it soaking wet and the screen a series of white and black vertical bars with a bit of his lock screen peeping through. He nearly threw the phone into the ocean in a fit of rage, but he instead tucked it back into the pocket of his soaked jeans. _Should’ve invested in the Life Proof case. _Dean thought. His bare toes curled into the damp sand when a breeze blew by, chilling him to the bone with his dripping wet clothes. He had kicked off his tennis shoes somewhere in the water, frustrated with how much they weighted him down as he swam to the shore.__

__Dean turned in a circle, taking in his surroundings. He jumped nearly three feet in the air when he noticed a man crouching in the bushes just out of his periphery._ _

__“Um, hi?” Dean said uncertainly._ _

__The man gingerly stepped out of the bush, branches and leaves clinging to his clothes. He had an untamed mop of brown hair, gray-blue eyes, and the beginnings of a beard. He didn’t _look_ like one of those deserted island dwellers from the movies – no bread down to his hips, no clothes ripped to shreds, no bloody spear at his side – so the place must’ve had _some_ form of civilization. _ _

__“Sorry if I frightened you.” The man started, “You seem to be in a bit of trouble.”_ _

__“Yeah, I kind of stranded myself. Do you live here?”_ _

__“Yes, me and my children are the sole occupants of this island. My name is Dr. Shurley and I’d be happy to help you out if you’d like.”_ _

___What is this, a customer service hotline?_ Dean thought, reflecting on the way Dr. Shurley had said ‘I’d be happy to help you out.’ _ _

__“I… yeah. That’d be great.” Dean said when he noticed he’d been standing and staring at the man for nearly half a minute._ _

__“Well, my home is straight through here,” Dr. Shurley pointed down a path concealed by high shrubs and low hanging branches of trees, “As long as you can get along with my children, you can stay as long as you’d like.”_ _

__“I appreciate it. Name’s Dean Winchester.”_ _

__“Lovely to meet you, Dean. If you’d follow me, I can introduce you to my children.”  
__

_Lots of emphasis on his kids._ “Lead the way.” 

__Dr. Shurley agilely leapt over branches blocking the path, leaving Dean to stumble over the roots and low shrubs. After what seemed like forever, they came upon a house that made Dean hold in his laughter at the sight of it. Nestled among the palm trees and exotic flowers was a house that looked like it had been plucked from an upscale, cookie cutter community and dropped on top of the island landscape. Dr. Shurley gave Dean a confused look when an aborted laugh escaped his lips. Dean schooled his features and made a ‘go on’ gesture. Dr. Shurley walked Dean to the front door and opened it. When both of them were in the foyer, Dr. Shurley shouted something that Dean wasn’t completely sure was English. Maybe it was just the water in his ears. In less than a minute, seven people stood in front of Dean and Dr. Shurley._ _

__“This is Dean,” Dr. Shurley said to his children. At least, that was who Dean assumed they were. “Dean, these are my children,” _Called it._ “Michael, Lucifer, Raphael, Gabriel, Balthazar, Anna, and Castiel.” _ _

__Each one of them waved or smiled when Dr. Shurley said their name. Out of all of them, the only one who really stuck was _Castiel_. The name belonged to a boy who was a couple inches shorter than Dean with smooth, tanned skin and piercing blue eyes. He was wearing a black t-shirt and broken in blue jeans with an ocean-blue beanie covering some of his wild obsidian hair. _ _

__“Dean, you look to be about Castiel’s size. Castiel, take him up to your room and find some clothes that he can wear. And do try to not frighten him off.” Dr. Shurley said. Castiel nodded dutifully and gestured to Dean. He trotted up the stairs with Dean on his heels, looking back every once in a while to make sure Dean was keeping up with him. They eventually stepped into a neatly organized room with a large bookshelf filled to the brim with well-read novels. Castiel began digging around in the drawers of a dresser, producing a white t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. He deposited the pile of clothes in Dean’s arms and lead him to a bathroom down the hall._ _

__“You can come back to my room when you’re done, if you’d like,” Castiel mumbled shyly._ _

__Dean smiled in what he hoped was a warm manner and nodded before ducking into the bathroom._ _

__The clothes Castiel had lent Dean must’ve been too large on him considering how well they fit Dean. They were soft and smelled nice. When Dean walked out of the bathroom, he was met with the sight of a small, pale, red-headed girl._ _

__“Clothes?” She asked._ _

__Dean wracked his brain, searching for her name while he gingerly placed his sopping wet clothes in her hands. “Sure, thanks… Anna!” Dean said triumphantly when he finally remembered her name._ _

__Anna laughed a bit before walking down the hallway towards the stairs. Dean strode back to Castiel’s room, knocking on the door. Castiel promptly let him in and shut the door behind him. He thrust a plate of food into Dean’s hands._ _

__“We already had dinner, I threw this together from the leftovers. I hope it’s enough.” Castiel babbled._ _

__“Seriously? Thanks, Cas,”_ _

__Castiel tilted his head. “Cas?”_ _

__“Oh, sorry, it just slipped out…”_ _

__“No, it’s fine. I… like it.”_ _

__Dean smiled in relief and sat in the middle of Castiel’s floor. He ate ravenously, barely chewing before he was swallowing and shoving in his next forkful into his mouth. Castiel sat cross-legged in front of him, watching Dean reverently. The plate was empty within minutes._ _

__“Good?” Castiel asked with a small laugh._ _

__Dean nodded vigorously with a smile. The pair sat in silence for a minute, or maybe an hour. Neither really noticed the passing of time as they enjoyed the comfortable quiet between them._ _

__Both of them jumped when someone gently knocked on Castiel’s door._ _

__“Yes?” Castiel replied after a startled moment._ _

__The door opened to reveal Dr. Shurley. “Just wanted to check in on you two. It’s probably about time to get in bed.”_ _

__“Alright. Thank you.” Castiel replied._ _

__Dr. Shurley nodded and stepped out of the doorway._ _

__“So, am I crashing on the floor?” Dean asked once Dr. Shurley’s footsteps had receded._ _

__“Why would you? There is plenty of room in my bed.” Castiel said like it was the simplest problem in the world._ _

__“Cas, you can’t be serious.”_ _

__“I don’t see the issue here, Dean.”_ _

__Castiel was doing that head tilt _again_. Dean sighed. “Fine. Your bed it is.” Dean conceded. _ _

__Castiel grinned in a _definitely not adorable_ way and Dean couldn’t help but smile back. Castiel disappeared into his closet to change and emerged in a hoodie and sweatpants. Dean couldn’t help but question why Castiel had his hood up, but didn’t speak up about it. He climbed into the bed next to Castiel and curled up on his side. Castiel turned off his bedside lamp and the room was shrouded in darkness. _ _

__“Goodnight, Dean.” Castiel mumbled._ _

__“’Night, Cas.”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i will tell y'all the prompt at the end because it will almost definitely spoil things for you but if you want to know it cause you're impatient, it's in the comments of my last fic (and hey while you're at it you can check it out XP) 
> 
> the next chapter isn't even written yet so i don't know when it will be up but i'll have it posted in some fashion
> 
> anywho, i'll see y'all in the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you know that time that i said i didn't know when the next chapter would be up and i implied that it would be a while? well i lied apparently, here's chapter two

Dean had to consistently hold himself back from making jokes about how Dr. Shurley and his kids went about doing things. Their routines seemed almost forced and his first breakfast was filled with silent tension between - was it Michael and Lucifer? Dean wasn’t sure as he was horrible with names. In any case, Gabriel tried valiantly to lighten the mood of the meal, making jokes and holding a conversation with Dean. Despite his efforts, the dirty looks and purposeful elbowing between the pair didn’t go unnoticed. 

“So, Dean,” Gabriel said, once more distracting Dean from the silent dueling of the brothers, “do you have any _extremely childish brothers who can’t get along for more than twenty seconds?_ ”

Dean burst out laughing at the obvious targeting of Michael and Lucifer. Anna covered her mouth when she, too, began to giggle. Castiel was shaking his head with fake exasperation and a very real grin. Raphael was seething quietly. It took Dean a moment to notice that Lucifer and Michael had been discreetly throwing bits of food at each other, it seemed that whenever Lucifer missed Michael (which was nearly every time) it landed straight on Raphael. Gabriel was glaring evilly at the pair, although both of them seemed unconcerned about it. Dean probably would’ve melted on the spot with Gabriel’s eyes boring into him like that.

Gabriel finally tore his gaze off of his brothers and turned towards Dean. “Well? Any siblings?”

“Yeah. I’ve got a little brother named Sam.” Dean smiled for a moment, thinking of his formally long-limbed and bony brother, his mop of hair that was close to dragging in his food, the grin on his face when he brought home another perfect report card. Of course, Sam didn’t look like that anymore. The hair thing was still pretty true, but Sammy had graduated college, so he was no longer bringing home his report cards, and he had hit puberty long ago, now towering over Dean and covered with muscle. It took Dean a minute to realize that his smile had slipped into a sad kind of grimace. He didn’t think he would ever miss his little smart ass of a brother this much. 

“Something wrong, Dean?” Castiel asked quietly to Dean’s right. Anna was shooting Dean a concerned look to his left. 

“Nah, I just miss Sammy ‘s all.” Dean sighed. 

The rest of the table had dissolved into chatter, only Castiel and Anna noticing Dean’s distress. Dean looked up just in time to see Lucifer throwing a syrup covered fork into Michael’s hair. Michael growled - _growled_ \- angrily at Lucifer and lunged at him with murder in his eyes. 

“Are you finished eating, Dean?” Dr. Shurley asked calmly from a couple seats away. This was clearly a normal occurrence. 

“Uh, yeah.” Dean said, glancing down at his empty plate. 

“Great. I dug my tools out of the garage if you want to get started on that hole in the side of your boat.”

“Yeah, that would be awesome.” Dean said, still trying to tear his eyes away from the fist fight that was going on. 

“Right this way, then.” 

Dr. Shurley started off, Dean shoving away from the table and following.

“Is that… normal for them? The fighting, I mean.” Dean asked when the sounds of brawl faded. 

“Yes, they both try very hard to be the alpha, shall we say. They both just have dominate personalities is all.”

“And – not to question your parenting style or anything – but you just let them fight?”

Dr. Shurley laughed. “I’ve tried to stop them before and it doesn’t turn out well for anyone, including me. It is much safer to let them fight it out. As long as they’re not killing each other, I’m not too worried.” 

Dr. Shurley opened a door to what Dean assumed was a closet. He handed Dean a heavy tool box and instructed him to run up to Castiel’s room, saying that Castiel had been told to set out some lighter clothes. 

Within twenty minutes, Dean was in shorts and a tank top and trudging towards the wreckage of his ship. The sun was beating down on the beach and the aluminum of the damaged hull was hot to the touch. Dean found a pair of work gloves to protect his hands from the heat and jagged metal and set to work creating a patch for the hole. He realized belatedly that the engine was damaged as well. Dean sighed tiredly and walked over to a tree. He sat down in the shade with his back against the trunk. Dean shut his eyes for a moment, trying to calculate how long it would be before he could be on his way home. He cracked one eye open when a shadow fell across his eyes. Castiel was stood over him, holding out a bottle of water. 

“Hey, Cas,” Dean said with a smile. He took the bottle from Cas’ hand and scooted over, patting the sand beside him. Cas sat down and took a sip from his own water. 

“How’re the repairs doing?” Castiel asked curiously.

“The hull isn’t too big of a problem, but the engine is damaged so it’s going to take me a few days longer than I thought it would to get out of your guys’ hair.”

“What do you mean ‘get out of your guys’ hair’?” 

“I don’t want to be a bother, is all.” 

“You’re not a bother.” Cas insisted, “I like having you around.” He mumbled after a pause. 

Dean laughed lightly. They sat in silence for a moment before Dean spoke again. “How’re you wearing a hat, man? It’s like Satan’s armpit out here.”

Castiel shrugged. “I like hats.”

“I don’t have anything against hats but it’s _sweltering_ right now.” 

Castiel shrugged again. “Are you gonna leave when you fix it?” 

Dean sighed. “Yeah, probably. I’ve got a family; you know?”

“Oh. Of course.” Castiel said sadly. “Do you have a girlfriend?” Castiel asked suddenly.

“No,”

“Boyfriend?”

“I’m not dating anyone, Cas.”

Dean glanced over and found Cas smiling, seemingly satisfied. They sat quietly for a while, watching at waves wash up on the beach. After some time, Dean stood up and got back to work, Castiel watching quietly from the shade of the tree. 

Dean took a break when Castiel shoved a sandwich under his nose, insisting that he rest for a moment and eat some lunch. When Dean finally stopped for the day, it was because Castiel had placed a hand on his shoulder and told him that if he wanted to shower before dinner he needed to get inside now. Cas practically dragged him away from his partially repaired boat and shoved him towards the bathroom with a towel in his arms. 

Lucifer and Michael were fighting before dinner even started and didn’t seem keen to take a break to eat. There was a streak of blood on the wood floors and Dean couldn’t help but wonder how they were still going strong after so long. No one else seemed to be concerned about the conflicting brothers, so Dean forced himself to believe that they would be fine. Dean was distant during the meal, his mind racing with how he would repair the engine, how much longer the hull would take, what his family was thinking, where his friends thought he’d gone. Dean ate absent mindedly, not realizing when his plate was cleared away and that all the children had left. Even Lucifer and Michael had moved their fight elsewhere. Dean noticed with a start that Gabriel was sitting across from him with a scrutinizing look.

“Can I help you with something?” Dean asked defensively. 

“Castiel likes you. He thinks he loves you, even.” Gabriel said. 

Dean was silent for a moment. “We’ve known each other for, like, two days.” 

“Ugh, just fuck him already.” Gabriel groaned, standing up and disappearing down a hallway. 

Dean sat, shell-shocked for a moment before he himself stood and went up the stairs, letting himself into Castiel’s room without knocking. Castiel was sitting on the other side of the room, tapping away at his laptop. He had earbuds in and didn’t seem to notice him. Dean was about to announce his presence when he noticed… something. Something coming from Castiel’s hip area that seems to be covered in fur and… moving? Was that… did Castiel have a… a tail? 

Dean hastily and quietly shut the door, knocking loudly once he was sure it was latched. Castiel opened the door and smiled, letting Dean in. Dean’s thoughts were even more all over the place than they were previously. The tail was gone now, but it surly wasn’t his imagination. 

Dean didn’t say anything about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you enjoyed, kudos and comments are very much appreciated and i'll see y'all in the next chapter


	3. Chapter 3

Dean couldn’t sleep that night. He forced himself to stay still, lest he kick Cas or wake him up by tossing and turning. Despite his best efforts, sometime around midnight, Cas sat up abruptly.

“Is something wrong?” He asked with a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up…” Dean began.

“Dean. Answer my question.” Castiel ordered. Dean hesitated for a moment and Castiel sighed. “I can’t understand why you’re upset if you don’t tell me about it.”

“It’s no big deal, Cas.”

“It’s obviously big enough to keep you up at night – quite literally.” 

Dean shook his head. “I appreciate the concern, but it’s not that much of a problem. I’m thinking too much is all.”

Castiel sighed again, clearly frustrated with Dean’s secrecy. “Would you like some tea? It could help you relax,”

Dean nodded and Castiel swung his legs off the bed. Dean followed him down the stairs, to the kitchen and watched as Castiel put a cup of water in the microwave with a quick explanation of not wanting to wake everyone else up with a kettle. Soon, Castiel was sliding a warm mug in front of Dean, insisting he drink all its contents. Castiel sat down with his own cup of tea and they both drank in silence. Castiel placed both their mugs in the sink when they were finished and led Dean back up the stairs. When they walked back into the room, Castiel opened a window, cool ocean air filtering inside. Dean’s shoulders released a bit of tension at the familiar scent of the salt water. He laid down next to Castiel and tried to slow his mind. He would be leaving this island in a few days, anyway. What did it matter if Castiel had a tail? In less than three days, this island would be a distant memory, a speck on the vast ocean. He would be home, back to job hunting and getting drinks with Sammy every other weekend. 

Dean fell asleep to the memories of Sammy and him sitting at a bar, catching up over bottles of beer and a couple shots if they were feeling adventurous. 

…

Castiel’s alarm woke up the both of them. Cas huffed something about getting a shower and Dean wandered downstairs in search of coffee. He found a bruised and sour-faced Michael fiddling with the coffee maker and asked if he could brew two cups for Dean. Michael groaned at the extra work, but threw in another two scoops of coffee grounds and poured in two cups more of water. Dean sat down at his claimed place at the table and thought about Cas. He had decided in his early morning stupor that he had to say _something_ to Castiel. 

He was running through the ways he could work the question into conversation when he was startled out of his thoughts by a hand smacking him on the side of the head. Dean yelped in surprise and looked over his shoulder to find… Balthazar, was it? 

“Quit worrying Cassie.” Balthazar whispered in Dean’s ear.

Dean jerked his head away from Balthazar’s and glared at him. “What are you talking about?”

“Castiel. You’re worrying him sick and you need to stop.”

“I don’t…” Dean started to say.

Balthazar walked away before Dean could finish. Dean realized why when Castiel sat down next to him, smiling weakly. 

“You alright, Cas?” Dean asked quietly.

“Huh? Fine.” Castiel said. 

“You’re lying.” Dean declared.

“You tell me the same lie all the time, I assumed it was commonplace between the two of us by now.” 

Dean’s jaw dropped, but no one seemed to notice as they sat down and began passing plates full of food around. Castiel smirked into his food, Dean glaring at him. 

“You’re annoying.” Dean said after a while.

“All that time and that’s the best comeback you can come up with? I’m disappointed in you, Dean.” 

Dean pouted minutely. “Really though, are you alright?” 

“We can talk about it later.”

Dean sighed exasperatedly, but nodded as he began to eat. When he finished, Castiel grabbed him by the wrist and led him to the back door of the house. 

“Where are we going?” Dean asked once the door shut behind them. 

“You’ll see.” 

Dean rolled his eyes, but continued to allow Castiel to pull him along. 

They stopped after a few minutes of walking. Castiel dropped his wrist and ducked under some low branches. Dean followed and gasped when he stood back up.

The trees had grown to form a sort of cave, translucent leaves blocking enough of the sun to keep the air cool but letting enough light through to easily see the walls formed by bushes and saplings. The little cave looked like something out of a painting and Dean had a bit of trouble believing that this wasn’t a dream.

“You still with me?” Castiel asked after a moment, waving a hand in front of Dean’s eyes.

“Yeah.” Dean mumbled, forcing himself to focus. “How’d you even find this?”

“I get bored sometimes.” Cas said with a shrug.

Castiel sat down on the ground, leaning back and looking up at the leafy ceiling. Dean followed suit, sitting a bit too close to Castiel for it to seem friendly. 

“Are you gonna tell me why you’re upset?” Dean asked after a minute or so.

“Way to ruin the mood.” Castiel grumbled, shoving Dean’s shoulder. 

“Well?”

Castiel sighed, furrowing his brow and biting at his lower lip. “I don’t know. It’s just,” Cas sighed again, “It’s just all you ever talk about is leaving. If you’re not eating or sleeping, you’re fixing your boat.” Castiel dropped his head into his hands. “I really like you, okay? A few people crash here every year and they’ve all been annoying or rude but – you’re not. You’re the best person I’ve ever met but all you want to do is leave. You started acting strange, as well and whenever anyone starts acting weird, it’s because they’re leaving, so excuse me for being a little upset about it.”

When Castiel was silent for a moment, Dean figured he was done. “Cas, I’m not leaving yet…”

“But you’re going to soon.” Castiel finished bitterly. 

“I didn’t say that,”

“But you were thinking it.”

“I wasn’t acting ‘weird’ because I’m leaving, Cas.”

“What was it then?” 

Dean sighed. _Now or never._ “Last night, I opened your door without knocking,” Dean started cautiously. Castiel looked up with a confused expression. “When you were on your computer?” He continued, hoping to jog Cas’ memory without saying it. Castiel’s eyes widened. _There it is._

“And… and you saw…?” Castiel gestured wildly.

“Yeah.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Dean repeated, not really sure what to say. They were quiet for a moment before Dean spoke again. “Are you gonna explain, or…?”

“Please, don’t.”

“Castiel,”

“Not right now, Dean.” 

“For fuck’s sake, Castiel,” Dean paused when a small whimper penetrated the air. He looked over to see Castiel with tears welling up in his eyes, biting roughly at his bottom lip. “Cas…” 

Castiel sniffled weakly, trying hard to keep from sobbing. Dean sighed and scooched closer to Castiel, wrapping an arm around his quivering form. Tears started to slip down Cas’ face and Dean pulled him to his side, letting him bury his face in his shoulder. Dean rubbed circles on Castiel’s back.

“’M sorry, Cas.” Dean mumbled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mkay this ended up a bit more sad and angsty than i intended so whoops sorry. 
> 
> anywho, i hope you enjoyed, leave me a comment telling me what you think and i'll see you in the next chapter!


	4. Chapter 4

Dean was breathing heavy when Castiel dropped a towel into his arms so he could shower before eating dinner. He had run back to the house from his now-completely-repaired boat to avoid missing dinner. Before letting Dean go back to the beach to work on mending his boat, Castiel had made him promise that he would be back for dinner, telling him that he wasn’t going to save any food for him if he was late.

Dean showered quickly, barely drying his hair before trotting down the stairs and taking his place at the table. 

“Right on time,” Castiel commented when Dean slid into his seat.

Dean playfully elbowed Cas, smiling. His grin faded a bit when he noticed Dr. Shurley intently observing them. He waved awkwardly, but Dr. Shurley was still studying them. 

“Just ignore him.” Castiel whispered to Dean. “He always does this.”

Dean couldn’t help but noticed Gabriel glancing between the pair and Dr. Shurley with concern etched in his features. He forced his attention on his food when a full plate meant for him was passed around the table. Dean still felt Dr. Shurley’s gaze on them, but made himself ignore it.

A little while after the beginning of the meal, Lucifer drove a fork into Michael’s shoulder. Dean glanced up hopefully, thinking that maybe Dr. Shurley had moved his attention from Castiel and himself, but the man didn’t even spare a glance at the brothers, even through Lucifer was now clutching at Michael’s wrist, trying to keep a steak knife away from his throat. 

“Are you finished eating, Dean?” Cas asked. 

Dean glanced down at his half-empty plate and nodded, pushing away from the table. Castiel followed him up the stairs and shut the door to his room behind them. 

“What the hell do you mean ‘he always does this’?” Dean hissed, trying not to shout. 

“It’s a very long, very complicated story.”

“I’ve got time.” 

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Castiel answered and Gabriel shoved his way into the room. 

“I told you it was a bad idea, Castiel!” Gabriel shouted.

“Can we skip the I-told-you-so?” Castiel groaned.

“You know what he does,” 

“I know I fucked up, can we not focus on that? Maybe, I don’t know, figure out a solution?!”

“How much does he know?”

“Very little.”

“Well let’s start by changing that.” Gabriel snatched Castiel’s ever present beanie off his head, Castiel yelping and grabbing for it even though it was already gone. Dean’s eyes widened at the sight of clearly-inhuman ears sprouting from Castiel’s head. “We don’t have much time, Dean, so you’re going to get the fast explanation. Our ‘father’,” Gabriel said with air quotes, “is a scientist. We are, shall we say, products of his experiments.”

“Sorry, I’m not following,” Dean said. 

Gabriel sighed, clearly annoyed. “We’re made from _animal genes_ , genius.” 

“And why do we not have much time?” 

“You need to get out of here.” Gabriel answered. 

Dean suddenly noticed the fact that Castiel was on the verge of tears. “Can I ask _why_?”

“He’s going to try to keep you here because he’s _fucking nuts_.” Gabriel growled. “You need to get out of here before he does something even crazier than normal.” 

“But I…”

“Listen here, Winchester.” Gabriel snarled, grabbing Dean by the front of his shirt. “We try our best not to be responsible for human beings getting trapped on an island because we get too attached to them. Castiel made a mistake, and I’m fixing it. I have been trying to make being around him too awkward for an actual _relationship_ to develop, but I clearly didn’t try hard enough. Now you’re going to get off of this island, and you’re not going to come back, understand?” Gabriel released Dean’s shirt and shoved him towards the door. “Leave. Now.”

Dean cast a sad glance in Castiel’s direction before he opened the door and ran to the stairs.

Dean sprinted along the path back to his boat, doing quick math in his head. _Five minutes to get it back in the water, two to get onboard, three to get the engine warmed up and going, out of here in ten minutes._ Dean thought. Once he was on the beach, he immediately began pushing his boat out of the low water area, simultaneously counting how long he was taking. After nearly five minutes, Dean swam to the other side of the boat, grabbing at the side, fingers searching for purchase. It took longer than he predicted to pull himself up onto the deck and his hands were going numb by the time he was fiddling with the controls due to the water coupled with the cold night air surrounding him.

_Too long,_ Dean told himself. He knew that he would be putting unnecessary strain on the engine if he didn’t let the metal warm up before he started running it, but his gut told him he didn’t have the time. He was about to speed off when a kick to the back of his knee sent him sprawling. Dean got back on his feet as fast as he could and was met with a freakishly calm looking Dr. Shurley.

“Leaving so soon, Mr. Winchester?” He asked.

“What the hell, man?!”

“I don’t think you’ll be running off tonight, Dean. My Castiel loves you.”

“Fuck off, man. I’ve got a family to get home to.”

“I have a family to take care of as well. I’m just trying to make Castiel happy. I’m sure you understand.” 

Before Dean knew what was happening, Dr. Shurley was smashing his head against the wall of the cabin. Dean’s vision went black as his legs crumpled under his weight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hate reading cliff-hangers, but gosh golly gee i do love writing them. 
> 
> only one more chapter after this! i hope to see you in *gesticulates wildly* that.
> 
> anywho, i hope you enjoyed! leave me a comment telling me what you thought! your kudos make me smile :)
> 
> see you in the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK ME AGES TO WRITE!  
> I got a bit of a plot snag and it took a while to work it out but it's here now! I hope you enjoy!

When Dean woke up, he was expecting to have to fight for his life. Was he complaining that that wasn’t the case? Definitely not.

Dean came to stretched out on his back on the floor of his boat, head pillowed on Castiel’s thighs. Cas was gently petting his fingers through Dean’s hair though his focus was on Gabriel. They were speaking just loud enough to be heard over the engine. Dean could hear other voices through the open door to the cabin, but he couldn’t place them. Castiel noticed Dean’s regained consciousness when Dean tried to shift his leg and hissed through his teeth at the pain in his knee. 

“How’s your head?” Cas asked, hand in Dean’s hair stilling.

“Fan-fucking-tastic.” Dean grumbled. 

“Anna’s looking for painkillers.” Gabriel said. “Also, I have no idea where I’m going or what I’m doing.”

Dean groaned and tentatively sat up. He waited for the room to stop spinning before standing. He stumbled a bit and Castiel was instantly at his side, a steadying hand on his lower back. 

“You alright?” Castiel asked.

Dean nodded and moved towards Gabriel, shouldering him away from the controls and taking over. His hands went on autopilot, moving over the console with familiarity. Dean could feel Castiel at his side, watching curiously as Dean worked on getting them… where? To his house? There was really no where else he could go. Could all eight of them even fit in his tiny apartment? Most of them were adults, but did they even have social security numbers? How was he even supposed to explain this to the police? Dean’s mind was racing with all the questions. 

“Calm down.” Came a stern order from Castiel. 

Dean glanced over at him and smiled apologetically. Castiel squinted at him for a moment before turning back toward the window, gently leaning his head on Dean’s shoulder. 

“Where’re we going?” Castiel asked after a few minutes.

“Probably my place.”

“All of us?” 

“I don’t know, Cas. My apartment isn’t that big. Hey, do you guys even have social security numbers?”

“I don’t _think_ so. Is that important?”

Dean sighed and wrapped an arm around Castiel. “My brother’s a lawyer, I’m sure he can figure something out for you guys.” Dean barely suppressed a jump when he felt something tickling at his neck. “So… cat ears?” 

“What a smooth way to go about saying it.” Castiel joked.

“And a tail.”

“Yes, Dean. Cat ears and a tail.”

“Anything else?”

Castiel laughed. “No. Just that.”

“Okay.”

“You’re alright with that?” 

“Yeah.”

“You are incredibly well-spoken.” Castiel snorted.

“You’re a jerk.”

“Still phenomenal at insults.”

Dean thought for a moment before spinning Castiel around to face him and pulling him in for a kiss. Castiel froze for a moment before melting into Dean, wrapping his arms around Dean’s neck and pressing him closer. 

They finally pulled apart when Gabriel knocked obnoxiously on the wall.

“What?” Dean growled, keeping Castiel pressed against him.

“You want some painkillers, or not?” Gabriel asked nonchalantly. He tossed the pill bottle to Dean and closed the door on his way out. 

“Your brother is annoying.” Dean mumbled before pressing his lips against Castiel’s. 

“I know.” Castiel answered when they pulled apart again. 

Castiel dodged Dean’s lips the next time, reminding him that he still needed to steer. Dean pouted, but went back to the controls as Castiel went to get him some water to take the painkillers with. Cas returned with water and a cell phone. 

“If you can get us somewhere it can get service…” Castiel said, sounding a bit doubtful. 

Dean nodded and dropped it in his pocket. He knocked back the painkillers and sighed, placing his hands back on the controls. 

…

Dean wasn’t entirely sure how he found his way back to the little seaside town that he had left behind in the windstorm, but he did. He and Castiel were the only ones awake when they docked, so Dean took Cas with him on land to call Sam.

His brother seemed more relieved than upset and Sam seemed confident that he could figure out what they were going to do with the seven people Dean had in tow. Sam ordered Dean to stay in the town, promising that he would be there by morning to pick everyone up. 

Dean found the town motel and winced as he shelled out money for three rooms. Someone would be on the couch, but three was all Dean could afford. Rousing everyone that was asleep on the ship had taken a bit of work, but soon he and Castiel were herding six barely awake people into motel rooms. 

Both of them agreed that they weren’t the slightest bit tired once they had everyone in bed and they somehow ended up on a bench at the end of a pier, watching the moon move slowly over the ocean. 

Castiel sighed and leaned on Dean’s shoulder. “Thank you.” Cas mumbled after a moment.

“For what?”

“Everything.”

“That’s not very specific, but alright. Are you hungry at all? I saw a 24-hour diner a little ways from the motel.”

“Diner?”

“Are you hungry or not?”

“Well yeah, but I’d appreciate if you’d tell me what a diner is.”

“I’ll show you.”

Dean hopped off the bench and grabbed Cas’ hands, pulling him up. He led Cas through the sleeping town, brushing off his pleas for the definition of a diner.

Castiel and Dean’s first date went swimmingly and by the time they were walking out of the little diner, Dean had forgotten all of the issues that his mind had been racing with only hours before. 

For now, he was with Cas and that was all that mattered to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, as promised, here is the prompt:   
> Dean is shipwrecked on an island where he meets a mysterious man called Dr. Shurley. He invites him to his home to meet his children. He falls in love with his youngest child who returns the feeling, but Dean can't stay because he has family back home. Dr. Shurley is really a mad scientist who made his kids out of animal genes. He wants all of his kids to have mates so he is determined to keep Dean here.
> 
> I hope y'all enjoyed! leave me a comment telling me what you think! if you like my writing style, keep an eye on my page, I may or may not have a new fic in the works *wink wink*
> 
> I also take prompts (obviously), if you have one feel free to drop it in the comments or in my ask box on tumblr (xactamundo.tumblr.com)
> 
> I hope to see y'all in the next fic!

**Author's Note:**

> i will tell y'all the prompt at the end because it will almost definitely spoil things for you but if you want to know it cause you're impatient, it's in the comments of my last fic (and hey while you're at it you can check it out XP) 
> 
> the next chapter isn't even written yet so i don't know when it will be up but i'll have it posted in some fashion
> 
> anywho, i'll see y'all in the next chapter!


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